Water-Conducting Household Appliance

ABSTRACT

A water-conducting household appliance includes a washing chamber defining a washing volume in which items to be washed are disposed and a storage container disposed in the washing chamber for retaining items at a predetermined storage location within the washing volume. A spray device is provided that is operable to spray at least one jet of liquid and a dissolving chamber having a chamber floor with at least one aperture is mounted to the storage container. The aperture has a longitudinal extent such that the aperture has a slot-like configuration.

The invention relates to a water-conducting household appliance, inparticular a dishwasher, having a dissolving chamber disposed in astorage container for items to be washed and serving to introduce adetergent, said dissolving chamber comprising a chamber base having atleast one opening.

A device to accommodate dishwasher detergents in the form of compressedpowder tablets in domestic dishwashers is known from DE 3722648 A1,which allows the compressed powder tablets to be accommodated inside thedishwasher without having an adverse effect on the wash result. This isachieved by configuring the device as a dosing container that can beaffixed inside the dishwasher with at least one dosing chamberaccommodating the tablet, having sides and/or base surfaces that areperforated at least in parts.

It is a disadvantage however that the spray coming from a spray deviceonly wets the compressed power tablets insufficiently, since the basesurface is only perforated in parts and sufficient liquid does notpenetrate into the device for accommodating dishwasher cleaning agents.The dissolving behavior of the compressed powder tablets is thereforeinfluenced in a negative manner, so that they do not completelydissolve. This produces a poor wash result so that the item to be washedis not clean after operation.

The object underlying the invention in the case of water-conductinghousehold appliances of the type described in more detail in theintroduction is to configure the chamber base of the dissolving chambersuch that after the cleaning process, the dissolving chamber is free ofdetergent and the item to be washed is free of spots and clean after theoperation.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the opening of thechamber base being designed in the shape of a slot.

This solution is particularly characterized in that no detergentresidues remain in the water-conducting household appliance after thecleaning process and this thus ensures that the detergent has completelydissolved. This arrangement also prevents the detergent coming intocontact with the items to be washed and thereby prevents the formationof spots on the items to be washed.

According to a preferred embodiment, provision is made for the slot-likeopenings of the chamber base to be disposed longitudinally ortransversely.

The advantage of this is that the detergent is dissolved essentiallyduring operation.

The detergent is dissolved by the fluid penetrating through the openingswith the result that the active agents of the detergent can dissolvebetter in the washing liquor during the washing process.

According to a further preferred embodiment, provision is made for thedissolving chamber to be able to be sealed with a lid.

This measure prevents the detergent from automatically falling out ofthe dissolving chamber and prevents residues of the detergent fromremaining in the treatment compartment after operation.

According to a further preferred embodiment, provision is made for thedissolving chamber to have one filling opening for the detergent on atleast one side wall and/or on the lid.

The solution is advantageous in that the detergent is supplied to thedissolving chamber in a very user-friendly manner. This is solution canalso be carried out very cost-effectively.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the subject matter ofthe invention, provision is made for at least the lid and at least oneside wall of the dissolving chamber to be configured to allow thepassage of fluid.

This measure allows the cleaning fluid to reach the dissolving chamberin order to dissolve the detergent. It similarly prevents the cleaningfluid from collecting in the container, filling this and causing thedetergent to be flushed out of the dissolving chamber.

The invention is described in a description which follows with referenceto an exemplary embodiment shown in a simplified manner in the drawing,in which:

FIG. 1 shows a segment shown from the side and in a partial section of adishwasher with a dissolving chamber in a basket,

FIG. 2 shows a segment of the basket of the dishwasher viewed fromabove, with a dissolving chamber disposed on its front side

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the dissolving chamber from above and

FIG. 4 shows the dissolving chamber with an arched base viewed from thefront.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an inventive dishwasher 1 with a door2, having an outer door 3 and an inner door 4. Program selection buttons6 are disposed on a door panel 5, said program selection buttons 6 beingconnected to an electrical electronic control and regulation unit 7installed inside the door 2. Various programs for running a cleaningprocess are stored in the memory of the electronic control andregulation unit 7. Inside the door 2 is a detergent dispenser 8 to holddetergent in the form of a block 9 and a rinse aid not shown in thefigure, said detergent dispenser 8 being connected to the electroniccontrol and regulation unit 7. The detergent dispenser 8 is however alsosuitable for holding liquid or powder detergent. A chamber 10, to whicha filling flap 11 is assigned for sealing purposes, serves to store thedetergent 9 and is disposed set back in the inner door 4. A treatmentcompartment 12 accessible by way of the opened door 2 and with an innershell 13 made of stainless steel has two guide rails (not shown) on itscontainer side walls (also not shown), on which guide rails a basketconfigured as a storage container 14 is held for holding items to becleaned (not shown). The body of the storage container 14 hasplastic-coated metal bars 15. A dissolving chamber 16, which isintegrated in the body of the storage container 14, has side walls 17which have a grid 18 and a chamber base 19 which has slot-like openings(not shown in FIG. 1). The dissolving chamber 16 can be opened using alid 20 comprising a fine-mesh grid, said lid being mounted in apivotable manner about a horizontal axis 21 disposed on the dissolvingchamber 16. A handle 22 is disposed on the lid 20. Alternatively, thelid 20 can also be configured as a sliding lid. A filling opening 23 isdisposed on the side wall 17, in order to supply detergent to thedissolving chamber 16.

A spray arm configured as a spray device 24 has a number of spraynozzles 25 on its upper side and on its lower side. In the case of spraydevices 24, in particular in the case of a rotating spray arm, thedissolving chamber 16 is advantageously located on a front wall 26 inthe center of the storage container 14.

FIG. 2 shows a storage container 14′ with the dissolving chamber 16′from FIG. 1. A spray device 24′ configured as a spray base with spraynozzles 25′ is integrated into the body of the storage container 14′.Alternatively the spray base can also be located below the storagecontainer 14′.

A front wall 26′ and side wall 27′ are assigned to the storagecontainer. The dissolving chamber 16′ is held in a detachable manner onthe front wall 26′ in the center of the storage container at a pointpredetermined therefor. To this end, the storage container 14′ has arecess 28′ for the insertion of the dissolving chamber 16 in order to beable to dispose the dissolving chamber 16 in a positionally accuratemanner in respect of the storage container 14′.

Alternatively however the dissolving chamber 16′ can also be disposed onthe side walls 27′ of the storage container 16′, nevertheless also inthe manner such that the point where the dissolving chamber 16 is to beattached is predetermined by position measures on the storage container14′.

FIG. 3 shows a more detailed dissolving chamber 16′ which is disposedabove the spray device 21. It has, as already mentioned, four chamberwalls 17′ which are configured as a fine-mesh grid 18. Alternatively thechamber walls 17′ can optionally also be configured as a coarse-meshgrid. The chamber base 19 of the dissolving chamber 16 has slot-likeopenings 19.1. The slot-like openings 19.1 are configured in alongitudinal manner in relation to the direction of the discharging jetof fluid. Alternatively, the slot-like openings 19.1 can also beconfigured in a transverse manner in relation to the direction of thedischarging jet of fluid.

FIG. 4 shows a dissolving chamber 16″ according to a second embodimentwith a rectangular layout. It has four chamber walls 17″ which areconfigured from a fine-mesh grid 18″. Alternatively one or more smallopenings can be disposed instead of the fine-mesh grid 18″. Similarly acoarse-mesh grid can alternatively be used, to dissolve the detergentmore quickly. A chamber base 19″ has slot-like openings (not shown) Thechamber base 19″ of the dissolving chamber is arched along the longerrectangular side towards the interior of the chamber, so that thedetergent, in particular powder detergent, slips down to the boundarybetween the chamber walls 17″ and the arched base 18″. It accumulatesthere, forming small piles, and cannot therefore be flushed out of thedissolving chamber 16″ immediately. This allows the detergent to bedistributed more evenly during the cleaning process. Alternatively thearching of the chamber base 19″ can also be configured in a transversemanner in relation to the longer rectangular side. A filling opening 23″is also disposed on the side wall 17″ in order to supply detergent tothe dissolving chamber. A handle 22″ used for handling the dissolvingchamber 16″ is provided opposite the chamber base 19″ on the exterior ofa chamber lid, said handle 22′; running along the chamber base arch inthe present exemplary embodiment.

The detergent 9, in particular a detergent tablet, is supplied to thedissolving chamber 16 by the user. The user seals the treatmentcompartment 12 using the door 2 and uses the program selection switch 6to select a program, which essentially comprises the program steps“pre-rinse—wash—intermediate rinse—final rinse (with rinse aid)—dry” andis stored in the electronic control and regulation unit 7.

Since the chamber walls 17 comprise a fine mesh grid 18 and the chamberbase 19 comprises slot-like openings 19.1, no larger detergent elementsdrop out of the dissolving chamber 16 into the treatment compartment 12and onto the item to be washed, thereby preventing the detergent 9 frombeing flushed out in large segments. The fine-mesh grid 18 is alsoconfigured to allow the passage of water, so the fluid can penetrateinto the dissolving chamber 16 and dissolve the detergent 8.

The arch of the chamber base 19″ shown in FIG. 4 also ensures that thepowder detergent accumulates on the side walls. This prevents the powderdetergent from being flushed out of the dissolving chamber 16 alreadyduring an early phase of the washing process.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A water conducting household appliance comprising: awashing chamber defining a washing volume in which items to be washedare disposed; a storage container disposed in the washing chamber forretaining items at a predetermined storage location within the washingvolume; a spray device operable to spray at least one jet of liquid; anda dissolving chamber having a chamber floor with at least one aperture,the at least one aperture being configured with its longitudinal extentgreater than its width extent perpendicular to its longitudinal extentsuch that the at least one aperture has a slot-like configuration. 8.The water-conducting household appliance as claimed in claim 7, whereinthe dissolving chamber includes a plurality of slot-like openingsincluding the at least one aperture and the slot-like openings of thechamber base are disposed one of longitudinally and transversely.
 9. Thewater-conducting household appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein thechamber floor is arched inwards.
 10. The water-conducting householdappliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the dissolving chamber can besealed with a lid.
 11. The water-conducting household appliance asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the dissolving chamber includes a fillingopening for the detergent on at least one of a side wall and a lid ofthe dissolving chamber.
 12. The water-conducting household appliance asclaimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the lid and at least oneside wall of the dissolving chamber is configured to allow the passageof liquid.